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Gawyn Trakand
| appeared= }}Lord Gawyn of House Trakand is a young man, son of Taringail Damodred and Queen Morgase, as well as the brother of Elayne and half-brother to Galad Damodred. As the eldest son of an Andoran queen, his future role in the government was to be the First Prince of the Sword to his sister Elayne when she ascends the Lion Throne. As a male child of the queen he is ineligible to claim the throne himself, although a claim might be passed on to any female descendants. Appearance He is a head taller than Elayne. He has the same red-gold hair as his mother and sister. He also shares Elayne's oval face. History When he was very young, Gareth Bryne took him to Elayne's crib and made him swear an oath to always protect her. Even though he was only a child, Gawyn understood the oath perfectly and took it to heart. Growing up, Gawyn barely knew his father, who spent all his time grooming Galad as his heir. Galad would save Gawyn's life twice over their youth, and Gawyn thought of him as a role model. Rand al'Thor meets Gawyn in The Eye of the World when he falls into the Palace garden. He vouches for Rand both when Galad threatens him and when he's brought before Morgase. Training as a Warder Gawyn's subsequent appearance in the story occurs when Elayne heads to the White Tower for her Aes Sedai training, Gawyn and Galad train with the Warders. Morgase comes to the White Tower and when she finds that her daughter is missing, she becomes furious. Galad and Gawyn manage to talk their way out of being taken out of the White Tower by her. He and Gawyn both fight Matrim Cauthon who is armed with a quarterstaff and beats the two of them together. During his time there, Gawyn meets Egwene, Min, and Nynaeve. During the Tower Coup, he supports Elaida by preventing the attempted rescue of Siuan Sanche, the deposed Amyrlin Seat. He becomes the head of a group of former Warder trainees known as "The Younglings," and he kills Hammar and Coulin. The Tower Schism and Dumai's Wells While it is likely that Galad is a better swordsman than him, he has proven himself quite capable with the sword, having killed two Warders, Coulin and Hammar, both of whom it is indicated are of master swordsman caliber, during the Coup. Gawyn is sent with the Younglings to protect the group of Aes Sedai that make an alliance with the Shaido. It is during this meeting that he finds out about Andor being taken by Rand, that that Rand possibly killed Morgase. Gawyn shows up again in Cairhien where he meets with Egwene regularly and they confess their love for one another. After Egwene has to leave to become the Amyrlin Seat of the Rebel Aes Sedai, he leaves to assist the Aes Sedai he is traveling with at the Battle of Dumai's Wells, which he loses, but survives. He also extremely dislikes Rand, as proven at one point when Egwene was pulled into one of his dreams, in which he killed Rand to rescue Egwene. At Dumai's Wells he even tells Rand, "I will see you dead, al'Thor". He believes that Rand killed his mother when he took Caemlyn, but because Egwene supports Rand, he will not raise a hand against him. As of Knife of Dreams Gawyn and the Younglings are encamped outside the walls of Tar Valon, not allowed in by order of Elaida and incapable of leaving due to winter snows and the rebel army. Choosing Sides Gawyn's Younglings begin effectively raiding the Rebel army, using Gawyn's knowledge of Gareth Bryne's strategies. Despite that, Gawyn is conflicted about having sided with Elaida; he is convinced that she intended for him to die at Dumai's Wells, dislikes having to send his army against that of his former teacher, and doesn't know what to do about Egwene. After sparring with Sleete and Marlesh, he learns that Egwene has been captured by the White Tower. Convinced that Elaida is going to execute her, he decides to leave the Younglings and join the Rebels to save her. He meets Gareth Bryne and Siuan Sanche at the rebel camp, and they convince him not to go off rescuing her, as she's given them strict orders not to. He also talks with Gareth about his mother, her time under the sway of Gaebril, and Rand. He then guides Byrne to Shemerin, who he found hiding with the washing women. When the Seanchan raid the White Tower, Gawyn convinces Siuan and Gareth that Egwene is in danger, and they must rescue her. They take a small force of soldiers into the city, and fight the Seanchan at the base of the Tower. They go on to fight their way through the Tower, and find a near-unconscious Egwene, and bring her back to the Rebel camp. Viewings *When Min Farshaw returned to the White Tower, she sees blood caked over his face indicating serious wounding. (believed fulfilled during the Tower split) *She then sees a Warder sword over him with a heron marked blade indicating he would become a blademaster. *There is also Gawyn's banner the charging White Boar but on a field of Green rather than the Red of Andor. (This may represent his devotion to Egwene al'Vere, who believes herself to be Green Ajah. It may also be his involvement with the Younglings, who wear green coats.) *During the escape of Min, Siuan and Leane from the Tower, Min saw two flickering images, one of him kneeling before Egwene, and another of him breaking Egwene's neck. This would indicate that either was a possibility and hints at his torn loyalties in the future. Parellels Gawyn is a parallel of Gawain, one of King Arthur's Knights of the Round Table. Gawain was the son of Morgause and had great loyalty to his king and family. These are references to Gawyns mother, Morgase and his tendency to place his own family first above all other causes. Category:Men Category:Living Category: Andor Category: Lords Category:Royalty Category:Blademasters Category:Younglings